Head-rest



(No Model.)

W. A. DOBSON 8v J. M. ST. JOHN.

HEAD REST.

No. 430.731. Patented June 24, 1890;

UNITED- STATES 7 PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. DOBSON, OF MARION, AND JUSTIN M. ST. JOHN, OF CEDAR RAPIDS,IOWA.

H EAD-REST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 430,731, dated June 24,1890.

Application filed March 5, 1889. Serial No. 301,826. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM A. DOBSON and JUSTIN M. ST. JOHN, citizensof the United States, residing at Marion and Cedar Rapids, respectively,in the county of Linn and State of Iowa, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Head-Rests; and we do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

The object of our invention is to produce a simple, cheap, and efficienthead-rest, which may be conveniently attached to the back of a car-seator chair, and when not in use may be folded compactly.

The invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangementof parts, as hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a rear view of the device embodying our invention applied toa car-seat, as seen in perspective; Fig. 2, a front elevation of thesame; Fig. 3, a rear elevationof the same folded, and Fig. 4 a sideelevation of the same partially closed together.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre-' sponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A A are two fiat curved springs mounted onsuitable supports B B. The springs are adapted to slip on said supportsfor the purpose of extension, and to this end the respective parts areprovided with connecting-lugs a. a and Z) Z), which serve as guides andholders for said parts, the supports B B passing through the clasps a a,and the springs A A through the clasps b b. The springs are made with anormal curvature their whole length, as indicated by the partial view ofone of them in Fig. 4. The effect of this is not only to throw theirupper extremities forward to a proper position with respect to the head,when extended, as shown in Fig. 1, but to cause them to bind in theclasps b b when so thrown forward, and thus automatically lockthemselves in any desired position. When it is desired to slip them inor out, they are bent backwardly until about straight.

The supports B B are connected at the up per and lower ends by hingedarms 0 O and D D, respectively. These are made to lock in the extendedposition shown in Fig. 2, being made to open a little past a right lineand provided with stop-lugs e e. The upper ends of the supports areprovided with hooks E E, adapted to catch on the top of the seat orchair back. They should be spring-hooks, so as to hold snugly on anyseat to which they may be commonly applied. Normally they extendbackwardly, as indicated in all the figures; but for the purpose ofmaking the device more compact when closed, we pivot these hooks in lugsc c, and thus admit of their being turned around half-way, so.

that the loop of the hook may lie on thesame side as the spring, asshown by the hook at the left in Fig. 4:.

The upper ends of the springs are provided with suitable holes, and inthese are attached by hooks d d the head-rest strap or cushion F. Thedirect flexibility and torsion of the springs secures a natural andcomfortable support for the head, which is particularly desirable in thecase of railway travel, where the backs of the seats are ordinarily toolow for this purpose. The compact form of the device when closed at thesame time renders it convenient to carry, as it may be placed and occupybut little room in a valise.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a head-rest, the combination, with a frame composed of twovertical supports having hooks at their upper ends to engage with thetop of the seat-back, and two pairs of hinged arms connecting saidsupports at or near the upper and lower ends, respectively, of twosprings having a normal forward curvature throughout their length, aclasp attached to the lower end of each spring inclosing the supports,and a clasp near the upper end of each support inclosing the springs,said springs being mounted directly forward of the supports, so that thecurvature of said springs isbrought into direct op position to theforward surface of the supports and serves to hold them at any point byfriction, and a cushion or strap hung upon the upper andforwardly-projecting ends of the springs, substantially as and for thepurpaotness when folded, substantially as set 10 pose set forth. forth.

2. In ahead-rest, the combination, with In testimonywhereof We affixoursignatures suitable cushion-supporting springs A A, of in presence oftwo witnesses.

5 the supports 13 B, hinged arms 0 and D, the WILLIAM A. DOBSON.

hooks E E, pivoted in bearings c o in line JUSTIN M. ST. JOHN. with saidsupports, whereby said hooks may Witnesses: be turned from their normalposition rear- S. W. BRAINERD,

ward to the opposite position for greater oom- H. H. DOOLITTLE.

